President Bola Tinubu has instructed the 36 state governors to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling by ensuring local government allocations are directly handed over to the councils.
The President emphasized that there can be no true autonomy for councils without a funded mandate.
Speaking at the 14th APC National Caucus meeting at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Tinubu stated he had assured leaders in the United States and the European Union that Nigeria would establish state police to tackle security challenges.
He also encouraged governors and party leaders to be flexible and to actively participate in local affairs, including those in rural communities.
He said: “You must yield and continue to promote, tolerate and be flexible, get involved in whatever is happening in your various states, up to local government level.
“I had a very long discussion with the US and European heads. I was bragging to tell them that definitely we will pass a state police to improve security. They asked me if I’m confident, and I said, yes, I have a party to depend on. I have a party that will make it happen.
“And if at this level we fail, God forbid, we will not fail. I think the reconciliation, the accommodation, and the flexibility are in your hands, all of you, and we are the majority. We are the leaders.
“Let us equally look at the recent Supreme Court judgment. What can we do with it? And how well can we position our country and our party?
“To me, local government autonomy must be effective. There is no autonomy without a funded mandate; we will give them their money directly. That’s the truth. That’s the compliance with the Supreme Court. Take leadership seriously.”
The President also expressed condolences to the Bayelsa State government over the death of its deputy governor, praying for the peace of his soul. He called for the inclusion of more women in the caucus and suggested that provisions should be made to support this.
Earlier, the national chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, praised what he termed a surge in the party’s national acceptance, referencing recent high-profile defections, an electronic membership registration drive, and plans for a new national secretariat in Abuja.
He stated that this was his first gathering since becoming chairman in July and thanked President Tinubu for his support while urging stakeholders to rally behind the party’s expansion agenda ahead of upcoming congresses and the next national convention set for March 2026.
Yilwatda shared that the APC leadership is consolidating structures nationwide through a membership drive, crediting the President’s leadership with strengthening party cohesion and public confidence.
He mentioned several governors and political figures who recently joined the party, asserting that the APC now enjoys an “overwhelming majority” in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Yilwatda remarked, “Recent political developments underscore APC’s pan-Nigerian character, including significant defections that have further expanded our influence, particularly among several high-profile individuals and groups from opposition parties.”
He also announced an important internal organizational milestone: the activation of an electronic membership registration system intended to enhance transparency, data integrity, and internal democracy.
The APC National Caucus serves as a high-level strategic meeting for the party’s top leadership, bringing together the President, Vice President, national chairman, members of the National Working Committee, APC governors, and other key stakeholders to align on political and organizational matters before broader discussions at the National Executive Committee.
Notably, six governors who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC attended the caucus meeting, including Rivers Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah, Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, and Taraba Governor Agbu Kefas.
Both the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, emphasized the importance of unity and equitable opportunities for all members, with Akpabio underscoring that governors should be accorded the respect they deserve as party leaders in their states.
